A Local Perspective on the 2014 National Conference on Homelessness

Inside the Conference that’s Inside the Beltway: Mark Putnam from the Committee to End Homelessness in King County reflects on the recent annual National Conference on Ending Homelessness in Washington, D.C. Family homelessness was well represented at this conference, and our “American Refugees” short films played a role, inspiring the 1,600 conference goers as they waited for the First Lady to speak.

The annual conference offers thousands of people from across the United States and Canada who work to end homelessness an opportunity to learn from each other, discuss effective solutions for ending homelessness with leading experts in the field, and offer their voices in shaping effective strategies and policies to end homelessness in their region.

This year’s conference signaled a new tone and energy in the work of ending homelessness. Attendees celebrated the great strides made in developing and implementing innovative strategies that aim to make homelessness rare, brief and one-time. We know what works and doesn’t work, and there’s a renewed energy to take on the…